East City

Master Zhou's explanation cleared things up for Xu Yi, and he felt relieved.

Master Zhou was a wise man, and with these insights, it was only natural that he could see through Xu Yi's true situation.

"Don't worry, kid. My dantian is ruined, and I'm just living out my remaining days. I'll take your secrets to the grave."

Having been in the martial world for a long time, Master Zhou knew that countless people had been killed to keep secrets hidden. He spoke to reassure Xu Yi.

Xu Yi said, "I've learned a great deal from you, Master, and I'm deeply indebted. I can barely repay your kindness, so how could I have any ulterior motives?"

Though he was proud and cynical, Xu Yi valued loyalty and gratitude greatly. Master Zhou was practically a half-teacher to him.

"What gratitude? I told you, you paid for it with good wine. It was a fair transaction, so don't try to get free advice from me from now on."

Master Zhou took a hearty swig of wine and burst into laughter.

Xu Yi chuckled as well. "I've already made arrangements at the Drunkard's Workshop. I've instructed them to send you a jar of wine every half-month for a year. You can drink to your heart's content."

Master Zhou's laughter abruptly stopped. He stared at Xu Yi in a daze for a long time before sighing. He turned and went into a side room, emerging shortly after with a brown square box.

"Didn't you ask me before how it was possible to unleash the strength of three oxen when one only has the strength of one ox within the Body Tempering realm? Take this Overlord Strength Art and study it."

With that, Master Zhou handed the box over.

Xu Yi accepted it without ceremony and opened it. Inside lay a thin sheet of black paper. He picked it up; it felt hard as iron, clearly not ordinary material.

As Xu Yi eagerly began to flip through the technique, he heard Master Zhou say, "This Overlord Strength Art was obtained by my late master and me in a hidden place many years ago. According to this technique, if cultivated properly, one can unleash the strength of three oxen even in the Body Tempering realm with a single strike. Note that the marvel of this technique is that, unlike ordinary methods that excavate potential at a significant cost, this allows you to continuously unleash the strength of three oxen as long as your energy is sufficient and your spirit is stable. This technique is divided into three levels. Each level you cultivate will add another three oxen's worth of strength. Once all three levels are mastered, you'll possess the might to overturn mountains and overshadow the heavens, unstoppable..."

Like all martial artists, Xu Yi had an almost obsessive pursuit of offensive power. Upon hearing of a divine technique that could greatly enhance his attack power, Xu Yi was overjoyed. Without further hesitation, he took the manual and began to read. After a moment, he murmured, "Top-grade Red Caltrop Grass, century-old Red Gold Snake Eyes, Bear King's Gall... Master, what kind of technique is this? Why does it require so many medicinal ingredients to cultivate?"

Putting away the manual, Xu Yi was filled with curiosity.

He had cultivated the Demonic Ox Great Strength Fist using only its three forms and the accompanying qi and blood circulation diagrams, pushing himself to the Body Tempering Peak. Apart from consuming some inferior Black Dragon Grass to supplement his stamina, he had relied on virtually no external aids. He had assumed other techniques would also be achievable through sheer hard work.

Master Zhou was speechless and chuckled, "I truly don't know how you managed. Your knowledge of martial arts is as blank as a sheet of paper. I'll reluctantly act as your teacher once more. In fact, extraordinary techniques often require extraordinary elixirs. However, human effort has its limits. The top-tier techniques developed by our ancestors are essentially brilliant ideas for absorbing the power of nature. To put it another way, the rare medicinal ingredients listed in the Overlord Strength Art are manifestations of natural forces. But these natural forces cannot be directly transformed into a martial artist's power; there's a bridge missing in between, and the martial art itself is that bridge."

Xu Yi listened with reverence.

Master Zhou continued, "To be frank, I've had this Overlord Strength Art for over twenty years. My late master and I both spent great effort gathering the necessary medicinal ingredients and cultivating according to the technique. Each time we reached the stage of qi reversal, we were overcome by mental fatigue and excruciating pain, unable to bear the strain on our souls, and had to abandon our cultivation. Since you possess a unique spiritual power, I believe the Overlord Strength Art will shine brightly in your hands."

"Thank you for your generous gift, Master!"

Xu Yi was extremely grateful.

Having cultivated for two years, though he lacked extensive knowledge of martial arts, he had heard Liao Chen speak of how the world valued martial arts, and martial arts manuals were extremely rare, especially top-tier techniques, which were globally scarce.

The Nirvana Divine Fist, which required half an hour to gather power for a single strike and had severe side effects, was considered a trump card by experts like Elder Feng. How precious must this Overlord Strength Art be, which could continuously unleash the strength of three oxen?

Master Zhou waved his hand. "What generous gift? Don't think I'm giving it to you for free. I have a condition: I'll trade this Overlord Strength Art for all the wine you can drink for the rest of my life. How about it?"

"Such a treasure cannot be measured by mere wine," Xu Yi said, shaking his head repeatedly.

Master Zhou glared. "Stop the nonsense. The technique is like waste paper to me, but wine is my lifeblood. I'm trading waste paper for my lifeblood. Who profits from this deal is up to personal judgment, no need to say more."

"Alright, I'll take care of your wine for the rest of your life, old man."

Xu Yi stopped arguing. Just as Uncle Mu was to him, he understood that some debts of gratitude could not be repaid with words alone.

Master Zhou smiled. "Then our deal is struck! Alright, kid, I'm going to sleep. You should also get ready for your battles. Go take a stroll in East City when you have time."

Xu Yi thanked him and turned, heading straight for East City.

The moment he stepped through the arched stone gate of East City, Xu Yi understood Master Zhou's intention in directing him there.

The entire East City was clearly a city carved out specifically for martial arts practitioners.

Entering the city, he looked out onto a wide street capable of accommodating ten horses abreast. It was bustling with traffic and a surging, ceaseless crowd.

The street was lined with imposing mansions and grand buildings, adorned with intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes, their eaves and corners elaborately decorated, a feast for the eyes.

Foreign monks in robes carrying staffs, seductive beauties with exposed chests swaying their hips, Taoists in plain clothes with bare feet, scholars fanning themselves and wearing caps – all sorts of people, strange and varied, enough to dazzle the eyes.

Most eye-catching were the various mounts. Amidst the crowd, some rode lions and tigers, others drove deer and elephants. Most outrageous was a youth radiating golden light, riding a giant python several dozen feet long, swaggering through the city.

The most enviable seat Xu Yi saw was on a white eagle, twelve feet tall. A white-robed traveler stumbled out of a wine shop, mounted the seat behind the giant eagle, and pulled the reins tied around the eagle's neck. With a clear cry, the man and the eagle soared into the clouds.

A line of poetry instantly flashed through Xu Yi's mind: "With a hundred thousand strings of wealth, riding a crane to Yangzhou."

At this moment, Xu Yi truly felt that he had arrived in an extraordinary world.